Exorcist says Satan exists but without 'horns, wings or a tail'

Dark gargoyle. Credit: Estitxu Carton via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Bogotá, Colombia, Sep 20, 2010 / 09:03 pm (CNA).- Spanish exorcist Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea Cucurull stated in an interview that though Satan does indeed exist, he does not have “horns, wings or a tail.” The priest recommended that the faithful seek the counsel of a priest if they suspect someone is possessed.

Fr. Fortea is a priest and theologian who specializes in demonology and is now studying for his doctorate of theology in Rome

In an interview with the newspaper El Tiempo during his 2010 visit to Colombia, Fr. Fortea said, “The devil does not have a body, a color, or a visual form, nor does he have horns, wings or a tail. He is an invisible, bodiless entity.”

“Believing in God means believing in what he has said. And he has spoken of the existence of the devil,” the priest remarked, recalling that “at the end of the 'Our Father' he warned, ‘Deliver us from evil’.”

Fr. Fortea then explained that though he has never seen a demon, he knows they exist, saying he has felt the presence of evil. “I have approached this like a scientist: even though I wear a habit, I am not void of reason.”

“On a certain number of occasions, alone at my house or other places, I have felt an evil presence.” He continued. “I would be lying if I did not acknowledge that I felt that evil presence in an intense and powerful way.”

The priest said that during one of these instances, his cat quickly scurried behind the curtains, staring at a particular spot in the room.

“It is not normal for a cat to hide, tremble and stare at a particular point,” he added.

“Although we tend to speak of the demon, in reality there are many demons, each one is different, but there is one who is head over all the demons, the most powerful one: Satan,” the priest continued.

Fr. Fortea went on to say, “Anyone who resorts to spiritism, witchcraft, or worse yet, Satanism, is in danger of being possessed. That is the general norm, but there are cases that have no explanation, even if someone has not engaged in these practices.”

“When someone possessed receives an exorcism, it takes a reasonable amount of time for him or her to be liberated. A number of sessions are required. The devil resists because he knows he is condemned to leave,” he added.

Fr. Fortea said he does not feel “especially harassed, but reason does tell me that since he exists, the devil does have outstanding issues with me.”